2011 report to congress - U.S.-China Economic and Security Review ...

212cifically, China’s military is working to ‘‘fuse data from an extensiveand diverse sensor network,’’ according to testimony by WayneA. Ulman, China issue manager at the U.S. Air Force National Airand Space Intelligence Center. 302 This sensor network appears toinclude layers of systems: over-the-horizon radars, unmanned aerialvehicles, and remote-sensing satellites.* Chinese analyses envisionthat satellites will play an important role in this architecture,as they would cue, or direct, other sensors in the network. Datafrom each layer, particularly once integrated, could be used to providetargeting data to guided weapons. 303Although the United States has the world’s only combat-provenglobal precision strike capability, China is ‘‘the country that appearsto be making the greatest strides toward fielding regional[reconnaissance-strike complexes],’’ according to Barry D. Watts,senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.Space plays a key role in this effort. For example, Mr.Watts testified that ‘‘to provide accurate, real-time target informationfor the . . . antiship ballistic missile (ASBM), the Chinese [militaryhas] been considering the integration of data from a varietyof space-based sensors, including electro-optical (EO), synthetic-apertureradar (SAR), electronic reconnaissance, and ocean surveillancesatellites’’ (see table 2, below). 304 China seeks to use data inputsfrom these systems, combined with data from other platformswithin its sensor architecture, to correct antiship ballistic missiles’course after launch in order to target moving ships at sea. This systemappears to be operational.†Table 2: Select Chinese Satellites withPotential Capabilities for Reconnaissance-strike IntegrationSatellite functionElectro-opticalExplanationCollects imagery. Different platforms havedifferent capabilities, but the Yaogan typemay have a resolution of up to 0.8 meters.Potentialexamples(quantity)type(5) Yaogan(1) Shijian(1) CBERS 1Synthetic-aperture Uses a microwave transmission to image (4) Yaoganradarobjects. Effective on land or maritimetargets day or night and in all-weatherconditions. Can image ship wakes todetermine speed and heading.Electronic Potentially collects electromagnetic, acous- (6) Shijian 2reconnaissance tic, infrared, and/or radar signatures. Can (1) Yaoganbe used to identify ships on that basis.dkrause on DSKHT7XVN1PROD with $$_JOBAssessments, March 2007). http://www.csbaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/2007.03.01-Six-Decades-Of-Guided-Weapons.pdf.* Unmanned aerial vehicles would include ‘‘conventional’’ platforms, perhaps on the model ofthe U.S. Global Hawk, as well as a separate class of promising high-altitude, long-enduranceairships optimized for reconnaissance functions. See Mark Stokes, untitled draft research paper(prepared by the Project 2049 Institute for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission,forthcoming.)† For more on China’s antiship ballistic missile, see section 1 of this chapter.VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:46 Nov 10, 2011 Jkt 067464 PO 00000 Frm 00224 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 G:\GSDD\USCC\2011\067464.XXX 067464